Alvaro Alonso Barba
Encyclopedia
Alvaro Alonso Barba was a secular Catholic priest and metallurgist.
Antonio (1786) says, "Baeticus ex oppido Lepe, apud Potosi"; hence Barba is assumed to be of Andalusia
n origin, from the ancient Roman province of Baetica. From the words Lepe and Potosi
, Lipes in western Bolivia
might be indicated.
He lived at Potosi during the period when its silver mines were most productive and luxury among the Spanish residents and mine owners had nearly reached its height. Father Barba divided his time between his priestly duties and a close study of the ores of this region and their treatment. There had been, since 1570, a complete revolution in the treatment of silver ores, through the application of mercury
, and a number of improvements followed, of which Barba had knowledge.
In 1609, he invented the pan amalgamation
process (in Spanish the cazo or fondo process) for extracting silver from ore by mixing it with salt and mercury and heating it in shallow copper vessels. In 1640 he published in Madrid
a book entitled Arte de los Metales, the earliest work on South American ores and minerals. It includes information on mineral localities in Bolivia. The book has been republished in Spanish, French and English.
Antonio (1786) says, "Baeticus ex oppido Lepe, apud Potosi"; hence Barba is assumed to be of Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n origin, from the ancient Roman province of Baetica. From the words Lepe and Potosi
Potosí
Potosí is a city and the capital of the department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world by elevation at a nominal . and it was the location of the Spanish colonial mint, now the National Mint of Bolivia...
, Lipes in western Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
might be indicated.
He lived at Potosi during the period when its silver mines were most productive and luxury among the Spanish residents and mine owners had nearly reached its height. Father Barba divided his time between his priestly duties and a close study of the ores of this region and their treatment. There had been, since 1570, a complete revolution in the treatment of silver ores, through the application of mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
, and a number of improvements followed, of which Barba had knowledge.
In 1609, he invented the pan amalgamation
Pan amalgamation
The Pan amalgamation process is a method to extract silver from ore, using mercury. The process was widely used from 1609 through the 19th century; it is no longer used....
process (in Spanish the cazo or fondo process) for extracting silver from ore by mixing it with salt and mercury and heating it in shallow copper vessels. In 1640 he published in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
a book entitled Arte de los Metales, the earliest work on South American ores and minerals. It includes information on mineral localities in Bolivia. The book has been republished in Spanish, French and English.